Multiple clamping of mount stems



July 5, 1960 E. E. DOTTERER ETA]- MULTIPLE CLAMPING 0F MOUNT STEMS 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed oat. 18, 1956 INVENTORS ELMER E. DOTTERER RE EL K N A R P D R m D O WILBERT E- VANGORDER ATTORNEY July 5, 1960 E. E. DOTTERER ErAL 2,943,749

MULTIPLE CLAMPING OF MOUNT STEMS Filed Oct. 18, 1956 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTORS ELMER E. DOTTERER DONALD J KANTNER HOWARD P. SPRANKLE BY WILBERT E. VANGORDER Ma /j ATTORNEY fingers are operated, as will be described. Each of the stationary fingers has upstanding, at'two spaced points along the horizontal Web thereof, a pair of bolts 72, 74, these bolts riding in parallelly inclined slots 76,78 in the horizontal webs of the movable fingers, Thus when the rear slidable bar 60 is moved toward and away from the stationary bar 30, each of the movable fingers 62 will be moved so that its rubber tube 70 will move away from and toward a companion rubber hose 56 on an adjacent stationary finger 48. To efiect the movements of the bar 60, there is fixedly mounted on the bar 30 a pair of double acting cylinders 80 and 82 whose piston rods 84 and 86 are pivotally secured to pins 88 and 90 afiixed to bar 60. To control the actuation of the cylinders, there is provided a conventional valve mechanism within casing 92 with hose 94 connected parallelly to the two cylinders to cause them to operate in unison either to force the piston rods out of the cylinder or to retract them, A

conventional needle valve 96 or the like is employed to retard the flow of fluid to the cylinders, particularly on release of the tubulations, to prevent spinning action of the pads on the tubulations. To operate the valve mechanism in casing 92, there is provided a valve operating stem 98 extending upwardly through the casing and the pivoted holder 18 is'provided with a bracket 100 adjustably supporting a valve stem operator pin 102. When the holder is in the position shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the valve mechanism is operated to move the bar 60 rearwardly, thus opening the spaces between rubber pads 70 and 56. Where the holder is tilted toward inverted positions the released valve mechanism causes the cylinders to pull bar 60' toward bar 30 and thereby clamp tubulations between the pads. To limit the movement of the holder toward tray loading and unloading position there is provided a stop block 104 on an angle iron 106 extending between and secured to the posts 10 and 12, said stop block lying beneath the vertical flange of the angle bar 24. A similar block is located at the left hand .end of the angle iron 106 beneath the angle bar 22. At

the front end of the machine for convenience in receiving" drippings from the washed mounts on the holder there is provided a narrow rectangular pan 108 with drain opening 1'10 and drain hose 112; The base 26.niay be suitably'grooved'as at 114, see'Fig'. 4, and perforated as at 116 to allow drippings to fall into the pan 108. The front of the base is'provided with'finger recesses 118 to facilitate insertion and retraction of the mount holding trays 36.

Any suitable washing tank (not shown) may be provided at the rear of the machine whose edges could be pro vided with stops to limit inverting movement of the tray to substantially 180 or stops such as stop pin 120 may be positioned on the posts 10 and 12 to engage the horizontal webs of the angle bars 22 and 24.

In use, a mount tray 36 is fully loaded or substantially fully loaded with tubulated mounts and the tray is inserted into the holder 18. Because of'the trackway formed by the cleats 32 and 34, the tubulations will be in position to slide in between the sets of fingers, being assisted in that movement by the arcuate edges 58 of the stationary fingers. At this time the movable fingers are separated from the companion fixed fingers of an adjacent overlapped pair of fingers and the valves in casing 92 are operated tocause the pistonrrods 84 and 86 to hold the" bar rearwardly. After thrusting the tray home against bar 30, the operator tilts the holder from its initial position through approximately 180'. At the start of the tilting movement, the valve operator pin 102 leaves the valve stem 98 and the'movable fingers are moved toward the fixed fingers to cause the rubber pads to clamp the tubulations. The operator retains the mount dipping holder in inverted washing position for several seconds and then tilts the holder back to initial position, whereupon the pin 102 again engages the valve stem 98 and because of the action of needle valve 96, the movable fingers separate from the fixed fingers at a rate slow 4- enough to prevent tubulation spinning. Then the tray is removed, placed in a drying rack, and another tray is loaded into the holder for repeat operation.

Although the clamping mechanism has been exemplified as used in conjunction with electron tube parts, it is obvious that other similar articles may be clamped by the holder.

Having thus described the. invention, what is'claimed 1s:

1. A tray holder and article clamping mechanism comprising a frame having a trackway for receiving a tray loaded with straight rows of articles, a bar fixed on said frame transversely of the trackway and fixedly carrying a number of spaced parallel fingers parallel with the trackway, a second bar parallel to said first bar fixedly carrying a second set of fingers alternating with and parallel to the fingers on the first bar, means for diagonally moving one bar toward and from the other, and means for supporting the frame for pivotal movement about an axis perpendicular to the fingers.

2. A tray holder and article clamping mechanism comprising a pivoted frame having a trackway for receiving a tray loaded with straight rows of articles, a bar fixed on said frame transversely of the trackway and fixedly carrying a number of spaced parallel fingers parallel with the trackway, a second bar parallel to said first bar fixedly carrying a second set of fingers alternating with and parallel to the fingers on the first bar, means for diagonally moving one bar toward and from the other, means for pivotally supporting the frame about an axis perpendicular to the fingers, said moving means comprising a motive means interacting between the bars and control means for said motive means comprising a part fixed on a non-movable part of the machine and a second cooperating part mounted for movement with the pivoted frame whereby the first part is contacted by the second in one position of the frame and is out of contact relationship in other positions of the frame.

3. A tray holder and article clamping mechanism comprising a frame having a trackway for receiving a tray loaded with straight rows of articles, a bar fixed on said frame transversely of the trackway and fixedly carrying a number of spaced parallel fingers, a second bar parallel'to'said first bar fixedly carrying a second set of fingers alternating with and parallel to the fingers on the first bar, means for diagonally moving one bar toward and from the other, means for supporting the frame for pivotal movement about an axis perpendicular to the fingers, said moving means comprising at least one mo tor in the form of a double acting cylinder and piston interconnecting the two bars, and control means for said motor comprising a valve and valve stem mounted on 7 an immovable part of the machine, said valve having a valve stem operator on the pivoted frame in position to contact and depress the valve stem in one position of the frame and to move out of contact with the valve stem in other swung positions of the frame.

4. A tray holder and article clamping mechanism comprising a frame having a trackway for receiving a tray loaded with straight rows of articles, a bar fixed on said frame transversely of the trackway and fixedly carrying a number of spaced parallel fingers parallel with i the trackway, a second bar parallel to said first bar fixeddicular to the fingers, and a counterbalance weight mounted on said frame with said pivot means located intermediate the second bar and the weight, with the frame portion extending rearwardly of the pivot means of small extent compared to the length of the frame portion forwardly of the pivot means.

5. A tray holder and article clamping mechanism comprising a frame having a trackway for receiving a tray loaded with rows of articles, a set of fingers mounted on the frame above the trackway, a second set of fingers supported by the frame alternating with and parallel to the first set of fingers, motor means on the frame adapted to effect clamping action of the fingers on the articles held in the tray and positioned between a finger and its companion alternating finger, a support for the frame, means pivotally mounting the frame on the support, and associated control means on the frame and on the support to control the operation of the motor means.

to effect clamping action of the fingers on the articles in the tray when the frame is tilted away from a normal tray' loading and unloading position, and to release the fingers when the frame is restored to said position.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Ameson Apr. 10, 1923 Collins May 15, 1923 Richter July 27, 1926 Clement Apr. 29, 1930 Crosbie May 16, 1933 Van Syckle Sept. 24, 1940 Thomas et a1. Feb. 24, 1942 Overland June 5, 1945 Schmidt June 8, 1948 Naillon Mar. 4, 1952 Watt et a1. Oct. 7, 1952 Rowe June 30, 1953 

